Director Krishnadas Murali's Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam offers a unique blend of genres, including murder mystery and comedy. One of the best aspects of the film is its references to older films. While some of these appear randomly in the film, others are integrated so well that you cannot help but burst out in laughter. Here are the best references in Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam:
The 'Thanoor Chakka' — Vesham
Remember the 2004 film where Mammootty delivers an intensely emotional dialogue from inside a jail? The line has been subject to vicious trolls in the recent past for the fact that it makes very little sense, despite the mega star's committed performance. Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam boldly places the Vesham reference at a point in the story where you least expect something like it, in what viewers usually call 'director brilliance'. And Jagadish's deadpan delivery makes it all the more hilarious.
The 'Second Half Entry' — Bharathanatyam
Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam hits a storytelling peak when Baby Jean's character, Subhash, enters the chaotic world of Sasidharan (Saiju Kurup) and his family. Much like the Abhiram Radhakrishnan character from the first part, this Subhash is also one of those prying eyes in the neighbourhood whom Sasi cannot get away from. Eventually, Sasi seeks the help of the OG Subhash (Abhiram). When he comes to Sasi's new home, he tells the family that the other Subhash has managed to put them under pressure in the second half of the film itself while he could not do it throughout Bharathanatyam.
Elsewhere, when Kalaranjini's character Saraswathi prays for the death of Subhash, Abhiram Radhakrishnan quips to her, "Specify with the initials, please".
'Let's See If He Turns Back' — Drishyam
In 2013's Drishyam, Kalabhavan Shajohn's cop, Sahadevan, tries to break Mohanlal's Georgekutty's down with psychological tactics. In one memorable scene, he casually lets out a detail about the Varun murder when beside Georgekutty and tells his colleague, "If he is hiding something, he will turn back." The conniving Georgekutty, however, walks away without turning back around.
The iconic moment from the 2013 whodunnit is one of the many references in Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam. In some ways, the whole film can be viewed as a comic version of Jeethu Joseph's thriller.
The Long Stare — 7 Aum Arivu
Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam is so inventive that it even pays a hat-tip to AR Murugadoss and Suriya's 2011 film, 7 Aum Arivu. When OG Subhash lands in Sasi's new place, his namesake gives him one of those long stares with a head movement reminiscent of how Dong Lee (Johnny Tri Nguyen) looks at Suriya's character in the 2011 film. The reference may be slightly random, but it is not entirely out of place and is downright hilarious. More importantly, the moment helps cement the wacky tone that the makers go for. It would appear that the director is a fanboy.
The Cremation Chair — Coolie
Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam makes fun of older films without thinking twice about the possibility of backlash from fans. This is one of the hallmarks of the film — its trust in the audience's ability to take it all in the right spirit. It does not spare even director Lokesh Kanagaraj film, starring Rajinikanth. At one point, one of the identical twins suggests vanishing the body with an electric chair. "Let's call a scientist, build an electric chair and turn him into ashes," he says, adding another layer of dark humour to a film brimming with it.